"Buzz has not installed the offense yet..."

[madtownwarrior]

I keep hearing this and Buzz mentioned this at the fish fry. People also said Buzz has not installed the out-of-bounds plays yet.

Not being a basketball guru like all of you - why would a coach want to enter a game of major magnitude (or any game for that matter) with out an offense or OOB plays installed?   Seems like you are severely hindering your chance to win.   Seems like OSU and Wisconsin have installed offenses and OOB plays - does Buzz know something that Matta and Bo do not?

[tower912]

Buzz has always put in his defense first.   It is one of his idiosyncrasies.   I don't know why.   

[We R Final Four]

- does Buzz know something that Matta and Bo do not?

Yes, he does.  The way to the Elite 8 is not to show your hand on OOB plays too early--and by too early I mean during the regular season.  The plan is to have 3-4 turnovers off of inbounds plays early in the year and come March those backdoor OOB plays work to perfection cuz no one has seen them all year!  That is 3-4 less turnovers in the tourney before the game even starts.

[bilsu]

He better work on that in bounds play, because Derrick was having a hard time finding someone open. One 5 second count a number of close calls. Someone (I think Juan) threw it away on 2nd half inbounds play.

[Rockmic87]

We were lucky to make it to the Elite 8. It's not like we plowed our way through the tournament!

[GGGG]

We were lucky to make it to the Elite 8. It's not like we plowed our way through the tournament!

So now we are going to denigrate last year?

[keefe]

So now we are going to denigrate last year?

[Archies Bat]

So now we are going to denigrate last year?

Of course.  Then we need to decide if Scoopers will focus next on denigrating the BE Champ Men's Soccer, or BE Champ Women's Soccer.  We need to decide quick before we get distracted by the New Hampshire results.

[Markusquette]

love it, haha

[tower912]

Yes, he does.  The way to the Elite 8 is not to show your hand on OOB plays too early--and by too early I mean during the regular season.  The plan is to have 3-4 turnovers off of inbounds plays early in the year and come March those backdoor OOB plays work to perfection cuz no one has seen them all year!  That is 3-4 less turnovers in the tourney before the game even starts.

Remember how Buzz had his team defend the final inbound play by Butler?   In a way that saint Brad had never seen or prepped for?   Pretty sure that one was not in the bag the first time MU played Butler.   Buzz has said he tries to teach his team how he wants them to play, and then installs an offense. 

[keefe]

Remember how Buzz had his team defend the final inbound play by Butler?   In a way that saint Brad had never seen or prepped for?   Pretty sure that one was not in the bag the first time MU played Butler.   Buzz has said he tries to teach his team how he wants them to play, and then installs an offense. 

Our downfall will be too many cupcakes

[The Equalizer]

So now we are going to denigrate last year?

I think the serious point is here is that you can refute the argument that "odd coaching moves in November make us solid in March" with the fact that we weren't that solid in March:

Take a look at our March games:

Nearly lost to Rutgers
nearly lost to St. Johns
Blown out by Notre Dame in the BET--a team we handled solidly a few weeks before
Nearly lost to Davidson, a 14 seed.
Barely escaped Butler.
Lost badly to Syracuse, a team we easily defeated a few weeks before.

We had two solid wins in eight games in March--Notre Dame at home, and Miami in the tournament. 
AND against Notre Dame Jack Cooley was sick. Against Miami Reggie Johnson (their leading rebounder) blew out his knee the game before.

Speaking facturally about our March play isn't denigrating the team--its pointing out the falacy that Buzz's odd coaching moves in November and December made us a stronger team in March.

[keefe]

I think the serious point is here is that you can refute the argument that "odd coaching moves in November make us solid in March" with the fact that we weren't that solid in March:

Take a look at our March games:

Nearly lost to Rutgers
nearly lost to St. Johns
Blown out by Notre Dame in the BET--a team we handled solidly a few weeks before
Nearly lost to Davidson, a 14 seed.
Barely escaped Butler.
Lost badly to Syracuse, a team we easily defeated a few weeks before.

We had two solid wins in eight games in March--Notre Dame at home, and Miami in the tournament. 
AND against Notre Dame Jack Cooley was sick. Against Miami Reggie Johnson (their leading rebounder) blew out his knee the game before.

Speaking facturally about our March play isn't denigrating the team--its pointing out the falacy that Buzz's odd coaching moves in November and December made us a stronger team in March.

[GGGG]

Take a look at our March games:

Nearly lost to Rutgers
nearly lost to St. Johns
Blown out by Notre Dame in the BET--a team we handled solidly a few weeks before
Nearly lost to Davidson, a 14 seed.
Barely escaped Butler.
Lost badly to Syracuse, a team we easily defeated a few weeks before.

We had two solid wins in eight games in March--Notre Dame at home, and Miami in the tournament.  
AND against Notre Dame Jack Cooley was sick. Against Miami Reggie Johnson (their leading rebounder) blew out his knee the game before.

But we beat Rutgers....and St. Johns...and Davidson...and Butler...

So this is the new thing?  Not only do we have to win games, but we have to blow people out to be satisfied? Wins come with an asterisk if they aren't "solid" wins?

[tower912]

Yes, if 84 can find a way to turn against Buzz.   It takes a special talent to tear down an Elite 8 run.   Well done, sir, you are indeed a special talent. 

[avid1010]

these threads are too funny.  must have missed the thread thanking buzz for the 30 some game winning streak at home???

there are 500 in-bounds plays that will produce at the tip of buzz's fingers anytime he wants them.  teams change it up throughout the year, but that has nothing to do with what buzz is doing right now.  he's talked about this at length, and the point is defense first, and when they have that they'll worry about offense.  he's often talked about how he's willing to lose a game early in order to be stronger at the end of the year. i think it has very little to do with "showing your hand" and everything to do with how he spends the valuable practice and preparation time he has with his players.  his success in the tourney has been solid, and the same people who claim we have been lucky, would be saying that "we should make our own luck" if MU had been eliminated in many of those same scenarios.  so argue all you want, i guess that's what the message board is for, but in the end realize no one on here is qualified to assess his job performance other than wins/losses and the conduct of the program. 

[tower912]

Hey, somebody else has been paying attention to what Buzz says.    This is not something new.   

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nearly lost arguments only count with LIU-Brooklyn

[The Equalizer]

So this is the new thing?  Not only do we have to win games, but we have to blow people out to be satisfied? Wins come with an asterisk if they aren't "solid" wins?

If you're going to make the argument argue that a particular action makes a team stronger in March, then, yes, the team actually has to be stronger in March for your argument to hold.

[jesmu84]

If you're going to make the argument argue that a particular action makes a team stronger in March, then, yes, the team actually has to be stronger in March for your argument to hold.

Do you believe the team from last year would have been good enough in november to win the same games with did in March?

[The Equalizer]

Yes, if 84 can find a way to turn against Buzz.   It takes a special talent to tear down an Elite 8 run.   Well done, sir, you are indeed a special talent. 

Wrong. I tore down the agruments of those who made the baseless claim that what Buzz did in November made the team stronger in March.

If you had any intellectual honesty, you might have at least tried to make some evidence-based counter argument.  

Instead, you resorted to the cheap and dirty personal attack.
 

[NersEllenson]

 
Instead, you resorted to the cheap and dirty personal attack.
 

Much like you have done with regard to Buzz the last 6 years....anything and everything you can do to tear down/minimize his achievements.  Still waiting for your husband to take IU to an Elite 8 - I mean come on 84 - It's Indiana, It's Indiana...a blueblood program, in a hoops hotbed state, with a ton of talent....6 years in and they are picked for 6th in the Big 10.  Wow...talk about something you can be critical of...

[The Equalizer]

Do you believe the team from last year would have been good enough in november to win the same games with did in March?

What are you asking?  Do I think a November Marquette team would have been able to beat the March Davidson team?  Or been able to beat the November Davidson team?   

Let me ask you this:  Do you think Davidson would have been capable of playing us to a last posession game in November?  Keep in mind they had six non-conference losses--including UWM, Drexel and Charlotte.  Think St. Johns would take us to OT in November?  At about the same time they were losing to Murray State and getting blown out by San Fran?  Think Rutgers in November would be good enough to have the Big East champ up by just 2 with the ball and 30 seconds to go?  When they weren't capable of beating St. Peters?

Whats amusing about your question is the seeming lack of awareness that EVERY team is subject to the same start date and season length.

[jesmu84]

What are you asking?  Do I think a November Marquette team would have been able to beat the March Davidson team?  Or been able to beat the November Davidson team?   

Let me ask you this:  Do you think Davidson would have been capable of playing us to a last posession game in November?  Keep in mind they had six non-conference losses--including UWM, Drexel and Charlotte.  Think St. Johns would take us to OT in November?  At about the same time they were losing to Murray State and getting blown out by San Fran?  Think Rutgers in November would be good enough to have the Big East champ up by just 2 with the ball and 30 seconds to go?  When they weren't capable of beating St. Peters?

Whats amusing about your question is the seeming lack of awareness that EVERY team is subject to the same start date and season length.

My lack of awareness? Thanks for the personal attack.

[The Equalizer]

My lack of awareness? Thanks for the personal attack.

If you were truly aware that the other teams had the same chance over the course of the season to improve, then why did you specify a hypothteical matchup between MU in November, but held the other teams in March?

Was it an honest mistake--a lack of awareness--that you asked me to make the comparision that way?

Or did I spoil an intentional attempt to play "gotcha" when i shifted your question back to a fair comparison of MU in November to Davidson, St. Johns or Rutgers in November (instead of March)?